Puppy Biting

Puppy Biting

Puppy teeth are razor sharp and the teething stage is painful—for everyone.  Puppies should have their adult teeth by 7 months; biting after 8 months is protest biting or a learned behavior.  Research shows that a major contributor to excessive puppy biting is early adoption (before 8 weeks).

The Illinois Animal Control Act 605/2.2 states that the mother and her puppies must remain together until the age of 8 weeks.   A puppy learns bite inhibition from his mother and littermates.  If a pup bites too hard or is too bossy, the other pups will let him know very quickly.  These lessons sound violent, but they are crucial for proper development.  Although puppies learn restraint better from their peers, the hints below should help:

1. Redirection – offer proper toys to chew.  No old socks or shoes.  A puppy cannot tell the difference between new and old.  Avoid items that are easily destroyed.
2. If your puppy bites while you are petting, quietly remove your attention from him.  This has to be done many times before the pup realizes he is being ignored.  Once he relaxes, pet him again, etcetera.
3. Use positive reinforcement (“good dog”) when your puppy chews the right toy and say “no”, when he selects the wrong object.  Always offer the right option to reinforce what you want.
4. Use a chewing deterrent (Grannick’s Apple Bitter).  First, give your pup a taste of it several times for a few days to create a negative association between the bad taste and the bad smell.  Then spray it on your hands, furniture, or the leash to deter the biting.
5. No tug of war or slapping games.
6. When your puppy is in a rowdy, biting mood, use the crate for a “positive” time out.
7. Set up a play date with other puppies.
8. Teach your puppy how to accept touch (brushing, nail trim, teeth brushing).
9. When your puppy bites, scream “OW!” in a high-pitched voice. Then ignore him.
10. If your puppy doesn’t get the message, use a leash correction or a little scruff and scold him in a low-toned voice (sound evil). Never grab, strike, or pinch his nose as this will make your puppy not trust hands.

Puppies that won’t stop or get wilder after a correction have a strong defense response and will continue to snap or snarl.  The “scruff and cuff” and “restraint” methods work for this type of dog, BUT proper timing and delivery are vital for these exercises.  It is important to remain calm and quiet while working with this type of puppy.  Poor training will make the problem worse and you may be bit.

Consult a professional before attempting any method that is unknown to you.  Once a dog is over a year, he should not be mouthy or biting.  Don’t make excuses for your biter, get help.

2008 Written by Dog Builders

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.

The Importance of Puppy Socialization

This series discusses how valuable socialization is for normal development and what you can do to help.  A properly socialized puppy is happy and content.  A well-balanced puppy will accept new places, noises, and people and other dogs with confidence.  An unsocialized dog exhibits fear and/or aggression toward people, other dogs, and any new situation.  The number one reason why dogs are euthanized is due to a lack of socialization during critical phases.

The most crucial time in a puppy’s development is during the first 16 weeks of life; the social exposure during this time affects how he relates to people and the world around him.  The puppy’s mother, littermates, breeder, and new owners are responsible for properly socializing a puppy during different phases of development.  If you miss your window of opportunity, you cannot go back and make it up.

Your pup’s temperament and behavior traits develop during this time and any experiences he has will affect him for the rest of his life.  Positive social exposure has a bigger influence over behavior than breed characteristics.  Furthermore, a negative experience can emotionally scar the puppy (an aggressive dog attacks a puppy while in its fear stage will create a dog aggression issue for the puppy).  It is important for new owners to learn the developmental stages and when to expose the puppy to the world.

The first ‘social’ lesson learned from his mother is how to keep the den clean.  For the first 3-4 weeks of life, the mother controls elimination by consuming their excrement, which is how they learn how to keep their den/crate clean.  Around 5 weeks, puppies are weaned and their mother stops cleaning up after them.  The breeder steps in to further reinforce keeping the den clean by using a substrate different from the bedding material (sawdust or newspaper).  Then, after mealtime, the puppies will run from the source of food to the elimination area.

The puppy’s mother is also the first to issue discipline.  Littermates teach social lessons like how to control the strength of their bite, how to vocalize, and how to interpret dog body language.  Puppies take turns being dominant and submissive.  They learn how to play bow, share space and food, and most importantly, where they fit into the pack.

Ideally, a litter of puppies is kept together until they are 8 weeks old, because the lessons learned from their mother and siblings are crucial.  A good breeder will execute some form of puppy-raising program to enhance development.  The most renowned guide to help stimulate and enrich early neurological development is “Developing High Achievers” by Dr. Carmen Battaglia.  Google “Super Dog Program” for the entire article.

Experts say that the best time for a puppy to learn proper social skills is between 4 and 16 weeks of age.  Life lessons taught by the mother and littermates build the foundation for acceptable behavior.  The breeder reinforces those canine rules, introduces human manners, and provides stimulus to enrich their environment (new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch).  Breeders that follow enrichment programs produce puppies that are well balanced and ready for the family.  Puppies removed from the litter too early tend to be nervous, prone to barking and biting, and less responsive to training.

The new owner is responsible for continuing enrichment exercises and to familiarize the puppy to their lifestyle.  Read puppy-raising books to become knowledgeable about growth stages and how to train skills like housebreaking, crate training, teaching respect, establishing leadership, and basic obedience.  Enroll in a group puppy class by the age of 14 weeks; your trainer should offer a training program that reflects the needs of the puppy and the ability of the owner.

Dr. Carmen Battaglia created the Rule of 7′s as a guide to increase a puppy’s exposure.  You do not have to follow it to the letter, but make sure your puppy is current on all shots before taking him out into a strange area.  By the time a puppy is 3 months, make sure he has:

1. Been on 7 different types of surfaces:  carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, and wood chips.
2. Played with 7 different types of objects:  rope toys, plush toys, big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, and sticks.
3. Been in 7 different locations:  front & back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, kids room, living room, hallway, Vet’s office, groomers.
4. Met and played with 7 new people:  include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or in a wheelchair or walker, someone tall, someone in a hat.
5. Been exposed to 7 challenges:  climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence.
6. Eaten from 7 different containers:  metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, human hands, pie plate, tin pan, frying pan, Frisbee, elevated bowl.
7. Eaten in 7 different locations:  crate, yard, exercise pen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, back yard.

Each new, positive experience will help your puppy flourish into a confident companion.  Allow your puppy to learn passively by letting them to explore on their own, but make sure he is 100% supervised and that it is a controlled environment.  Do not use any harsh training methods with a puppy, because you will break the bond of trust.  Training should be fair and fun.

Copyright 2010, Dog Builders

Copyright 2006 by Dog Builders. This article or any part of this article may not be reproduced in any form or circulated without author’s permission. We post articles to educate the public and would allow the use of printed materials for that purpose. If you want to use any publications, you must contact us first. Materials cannot be edited or changed and must be used in whole, including our logo.